"LIKE when you sit in front of a fire in winter — you are just there in front of the fire. You don't have to be smart or anything. The fire warms you." This quote by the South African anti-apartheid, retired Anglican bishop Desmond Tutu, came to mind when I attended the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival (UWRF) in Bali, Indonesia from Oct 1 to 5, 2014.Yes, I did not have to be smart or anything. I basked, not only in the radiant sun and the astounding beauty of the Island of Gods, but also in the words and readings offered by some of the renowned writers who were featured at the UWRF.
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Faced with an array of 150 authors brought together from all over the world, I made a simple decision.I did what most Balinese do – I went with the flow. To begin with, I did not allow the fact that I had missed the main media event on Sep 30, 2014 get to me.Arriving in a complacent mood on Oct 1, I did not even get ruffled by the length of time it took me to clear immigration and to reach Nick's Pension, my pre-booked hotel in Jalan Bisma, Ubud.All in all, four hours ticked away. It made no difference to me because at my chosen laid-back haven in Ubud, the green of growing padi in fields, the ripples of cerulean blue in a serene swimming pool and the yellow clusters of blossoms on frangipani trees brought me the peace and calm I sought.
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The next morning, at breakfast, I was drawn to the finely crafted stone god of Dewi Sri, the Goddess of Rice and Fertility, which stood in her statuesque beauty overlooking the pool.It may interest you to know that she is akin to the Hindu Goddess Lakshmi – personifying wealth and family prosperity. What a fortuitous introduction to Bali!
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At the scenic Indus Restaurant (one of the venues for UWRF), the first person I met was the charming Melbourne-born Founder and Director of UWRF, Janet DeNeefe, who was dressed most becomingly in an elegant Balinese kebaya and sarong. This and the lovely flower in her hair told me that this Aussie beauty is accustomed to Balinese ways. She has, in fact, lived in Bali since 1984 and is the author of a memoir, Fragrant Rice (2003) and the 2011 cookbook, Bali: The Food of My Island Home. In 2004, Janet DeNeefe created the international UWRF in response to the 2002 Bali bombings. She is not only the owner of Casa Luna, Indus Restaurant and Bar Luna but also runs The Casa Luna Cooking School where you can learn the art of Balinese cooking. Yes, she is to be admired for her expertise and wherewithal in managing such a huge set of responsibilities. Credit goes to her and her committee for choosing Goddess Saraswati (the Dewi of Wisdom & Knowledge) to bestow her benign smile on the 2014 UWRF. On my part, I left Janet to her numerous tasks and mingled freely with the local waitresses, all of whom were dressed in Balinese traditional attire and wore the tireless smile of warm Indonesian hospitality. Not that it matters, but among the writers toasted at UWRF was our very own Tash Aw – the Malaysian who wrote the recently-published book Five Star Millionaire. He may not be Richard Flanagan, the Australian novelist who won the 2014 Man Booker Prize for his novel The Narrow Road to the Deep North – a poignant story on wartime prisoners and captors on the Burma railway.But, take note that Tash Aw won both the Whitbread and Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best First Novel (Asia Pacific Region) in 2005 and was long-listed for the Man Booker Prize in the same year. I have only respect for both men and truth be told, for all authors, writers, novelists, essayists, poets and lyricists It really takes passion, effort and talent to write. Painstaking time is involved and a rich measure of self-discipline is needed. How can you put a book out if you cannot put all worldly matters aside and hit the keys for as long as it takes to get it right?Without sacrifice, no tale makes it out to the bookstores. You also have to reach deep into your soul and be truly zahir (present) for the voice that arises out of the depth of your being.Having been an education feature writer for 18 years, I know all this. Yet, I was still moved when I heard Chinese author Can Xue say it quietly but firmly.She is a woman who obviously chooses to dress simply but is one who spoke truthfully from her experience and did not let her lack of good English get in the way of putting her point across.The fact that she was supported by an equally humble husband who sat in the front row and took photos quietly made me take notice. It goes without saying that if you really want to learn from someone, then you have to listen actively when they relate their life experience to you.Everyone learns from what they go through in life. A tough childhood teaches you how to be self-reliant, strong and independent. A broken heart teaches you about pain and sorrow. A torn family makes you value ties and bonds that really matter.There is also much to learn to when you are willing to share, compare or divulge the lessons life has taught you. Be it in fiction form, grandiose prose, the lyrics of a song, a musical composition or the verbal brevity in a poem, a voice is reaching out. It knows something that perhaps you don't. Or, it might move you. Touch you. Resonate within you.It is a cord of contact. Saying: This is how it is/was for me or for this person. Asking: How is/was it for you?A good question. And one answered by several authors at the UWRF. I overheard one poignant answer given, for instance, by the articulate Japanese author and public speaker Keibo Oiwa (pen-name: Tsuji Shin'ichi) who is the founder of the Sloth Club and author of the 2006 book Slow is Beautiful.He said: "All we have is time". Make what you will of his input but he is right. You have to make the act of making time, instead of marking time, your priority.I do. I made time to interact with the locals, listen to their music, hear their life stories, catch the drift of conversations, take in the beauty of the night sky, be mesmerised by the stillness of lotus ponds, feel the wind in the tall hibiscus trees, admire the sculpture of the stone gods, talk to the common man, visit a school, watch the sweat glisten on a waitress's forehead, stay reverent of coconut leaf basket offerings to Hindu Gods, dole out free advice while engaging in wit and repartee, and of course partake of bebek and Bintang beer.I made time for the authors too – some, not all, because the call of Bali which begged me to quell my questions, still my soul and listen deeply to its mythological lore was more compelling. Yes, I did hear out Singaporean author Krishna Udayasankar, Indonesian writer Sulfiza Ariska, Australian Mary Pomfret, and Youtube video artiste Sacha Stevenson. And I did publically commend Michael Cathcart (host of Books and Arts Daily on Australia's Radio National) for his excellent mediating at UWRF. Bought him a cold beer too because I have a flair for Bahasa Indonesia and a way with the locals and hence, had mastered the faster way to get one the night I met him at Arma Museum. The only personal interview that was specially arranged for me (the only Malaysian education columnist present at UWRF) by the ever-helpful Media Coordinator, Holly Reid, was sadly one which providence decided that I would not be able to conduct.It was scheduled with care for Oct 5, 2014 with none other than Amitav Ghosh, the world-famous Bengali novelist (who wrote 18 books including The Glass Palace) and is husband to American author Deborah Baker. I did not make it because a Balinese woman cried that afternoon when she revealed to me how worried she was about her 16-year-old son who was depressed and having suicidal tendencies. After I heard her outpouring of concern, nothing else came to my mind but to go visit the teenager and use the objective power of my experience and the persuasive lilt of the traits of eudaimonism in me to convince him otherwise. I have no desire to win you over with this revelation. I only speak the truth. Years ago, when I was a teacher at a secondary school in a small rural town in Malaysia, a 14-year old female student hung herself in her bathroom at home. Her death haunted us for weeks.Young people often take their own lives when they feel hopeless and helpless.The way I look at it is this: If someone turns to me with hope and for help, I never let them down. I am above all, a wife with 34 years' experience, a mother of two daughters aged 27 and 24, a Biology teacher who taught in both rural and urban Malaysian government schools for 24 years and a columnist who has been writing now for 18 years.I choose to inspire and motivate parents, teachers and students. I do not review books or need to meet an established author to understand what it takes to write or what moves one to write. I care only about reaching out and touching lives in a way that really matters. Given the man he is, I am sure Amitav Ghosh will forgive me. Simply put, I had to be where it mattered more. With no roaming on my phone, I could not even email him since I was in a rustic hut with no wi-fi facilities. Be that as it may, there is no regret in me. Fact is, one of the most soulful experiences I had in Ubud was to hear the magnificent, God-given and practice-honed voice of Maori singer Tama Waipara on the night of Oct 4, 2014 at the Blanco Museum. What a powerful rendition she gave! The rhythm of Balinese music making waves in the humid night and the cadences of Tama's voice is forever engraved on my mind. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express’s Telegram channel.
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